Luggage locks



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LUGGAGE LOCKS Filed June 9, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 7O "7 v I w l lllj United States Patent 3,478,547 LUGGAGE LOCKS Eric Frederick Constable, Solihull, England, assignor to C. W. Cheney & Son Limited, Hockley, England Filed June 9, 1967, Ser. No. 644,933 Claims priority, application Great Britain, June 16, 1966,

Int. Cl. E05b 65/52; E05c 19/14, 5/00 US. Cl. 70-71 3 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Claims This invention relates to luggage locks of the kind known in the trade as horizontal locks in which the lock has a relatively elongated casing which is fixed to the, for example suitcase to extend along the length of the same, and which are most usually employed with hasps which are at least of small dimensions and often are concealed from view when the lock is fastened: this gives a neat and modern appearance to a suitcase specially when the locks are styled with the case handle and together form a unit or alternatively are all recessed into a channel or the like extending about the case periphery.

This invention is concerned with a particular type of lock and has for its object to simplify assembly of the locks to the suitcase or the like.

In accordance with the invention, a lock comprises a pair of parts hinged together, one of which is adapted to be attached to the suitcase and the other of which is arranged for pivotal movement during engagement and release of an associated hasp part, the said pair of parts being connected together by a link which slides during pivotal movement characterised by the link and one of said parts being connectable by a displacing operation but not normally releasable by such an operation, so that prior to connection the said parts may be swung apart beyond the normal maximum separated position for attachment to the suitcase or like and subsequently substantially irreversibly connected.

Preferably the link is pivoted at one end to one of the parts, and is headed at the other end: the other of the parts may have a keyhole slot for the head to pass through the larger slot part and then engage behind the narrower slot part in normal sliding movement. A spring may be used to block access of the link to the larger part of the slot, and the spring is displaceable by the head travelling through the said slot part in final assembly, but snaps behind the link when the latter moves out of said slot part into the narrower slot part, and hence prevents re-entry of said link into the larger slot part.

One preferred embodiment of the invention is now more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of a lock and hasp secured to a body and lid respectively of a suitcase;

FIGURE 2 is a part exploded perspective view of the lock of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the lock only in a position ready for assembly to the suitcase body;

FIGURE 4 is an elevation partly in section on the line 44 of FIGURE 3; showing the lock partly secured to the v suitcase;

FIGURE 5 is a part sectional elevation similar to FIGURE 4; showing the lock in an intermediate assembly position.

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 showing the lock in the assembled position; and

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 6 showing the lock in the closed position.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly FIG- URE 1 thereof the lock comprises an attachment plate 10 and a pivoted lever part 11 which is substantially rectangular in plan view. The lock is associated with a hasp 12 provided with a laterally projecting hasp lug 13 which projects through gap 14 in the lever part 13 and is retained therein when the lock is in the closed position, see FIGURE 7 to hold the suitcase body in the closed together position.

Referring now to FIGURE 2 the attachment plate 10 may be made as a metal pressing or conveniently as a die casting and is provided with a pair of parallel ears 14 at one end which are co-axially apertured to receive a hinge pin 15. The attachment plate is provided with an aperture 16 to receive rivets by means of which the plate is secured to the suitcase body, although it will be appreciated that instead of providing the apertures 16 integral conventional rivets may be formed on the plate, or alternatively again the plate may be provided with integral fixing prongs.

At the opposite end to the ears 14 the plate is provided with a lug 17 provided with central rectangular aperture 18.

The plate is also provided with a slot 19 formed between the adjacent ends of a pair of upstanding inturned lugs 20, and a further aperture 21 is provided in the open end of the slot 19.

A blade spring 22 seats flush upon the plate 10, is secured in place by rivet 23, and projects across the aperture 21 and below the slot 19 being located laterally between the lugs 20. The lever part 11, see FIGURE 2 comprises a cover plate 30 provided with a key hole aperture 31 and with a tongue 32 lying between a pair of slots 33 in one of its lateral walls. One end wall is provided with a rectangular aperture 34 and the opposite end wall with a lug 35.

The lever 11,- see also FIGURE 2 comprises a liner plate 37, closure 38, and bolt 39 provided between the parts 37, 38.

Between the assembly 37, 38, 39 and the cover 30, a key selector plate 40 is located, and this is journalled in a circular part of the key hole 31 and serves to limit the cross sectional shape of the key which may be introduced into the lock.

The part 37 is provided with a pair of parallel lugs 42, which are apertured at 43, to receive the hinge pin 15 which threads also the aperture in the lugs 14 to hinge the lever assembly to the attachment plate 10.

Also threaded on the hinge pin 15 is a hair-pin spring 50 having a U-shaped part 51 which lies against the inner face of the liner 37 is a pair of limbs 53 which lie on the attachment plate 10 when the lock is moved to the FIG- URES 5 to 7 positions and serves to spring urge the lever assembly to the FIGURE 6 and FIGURE 1 position in position in normal usage.

The cover plate 30 is assembled over the assembly of parts 33 to 40 after the latter has been assembled by the hinge pin 15 to the attachment plate, and the lugs 34, 35 are folded inwards over the ends of the assembly 37 to 39 to secure the parts together, the lug 32 is folded upon itself to form 9. prong 55, see FIGURE 3, which may cooperate with the hasp lug 13 to trap the latter in position.

The bolt 39 has a nose which projects through the slot 34 and the bolt is spring urged towards the position at which the nose projects through the slot. The bolt is also provided with a centrally located nose 57 which projects into an end across the slot 58 in the closure 38, and during movement of the lever assembly in the FIGURE 6 to the FIGURE 7 position the lug 17 is taken into end aperture 58, when the bevelled nose 57 is retracted against the spring and then snap engages with the aperture 18 to hold the lock in the FIGURE 7 position. Release is effected by displacing nose 38 inwardly of aperture 34 to withdraw nose 57 from slot 58 and hence from aperture 18 and lug 17.

Located between the closure 38 and the liner 37 is a locking plate which may be key-turned to two alternative spring-loaded positions in one of which displacement of the bolt 39 is impossible and hence the lock is in the locked state and in the other of which displacement is possible so that the lock is in the unlocked state.

As best seen in FIGURES 4 to 7 the liner plate is provided with a hollow boss 60 which is slotted at 61 and this slot accommodates one end of link 65, see also FIGURE 2, the link having T-shaped ends 66, 67. End 66 is retained with the boss 60, and the slot permits limited sliding and pivoting movement of the link about the end 66.

In the condition in which the lock is manufactured and supplied to a suitcase manufacturer the end 67 of the lock is free as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. In this state the lock can be positioned on the suitcase wall as shown in FIGURE 3, the wall material being indicated by the reference 70, and can be riveted or otherwise afiixed to the suitcase wall as by rivets 72, FIGURE 4, and it will be appreciated that in this condition of the lock the lever assembly 11 can be located substantially normally of the attachment plate to enable free access to be had to the rivets or other fixing expedients over substantially the whole of the area of the attachment plate.

After the lock has been fixed to the suitcase wall as in FIGURE 4, the lever assembly is swung first to the FIG- URE 5 position when the link 65 will hang down substantially vertically so that its end 67 engages the blade spring 22 over the area of the aperture 21, and will deflect the blade spring downwardly so as to allow the head 67 of the link to enter between the inturned lugs whilst the leg 75 of the link passes through the slot 19. As the head 67 passes over the free end of the spring 22 the latter will snap or spring-return to the position shown in FIG- URE 6, in which the blade spring bars the end of the slot and prevents the link being withdrawn from the slot. Hence the link is in the FIGURE 6 position and limits movement of the lever assembly 11 to an inclination relative to the attachment plate 10, shown in FIGURE 6.

During normal closing of the lock the link end slides along the slot so that when the lock is closed as shown in FIGURE 7 the link is disposed as shown in that figure. When the lock is open, it returns to the FIGURE 6 position.

It will be appreciated that under normal circumstances the link cannot be extracted from the slot 19, although this is possible by using a tool to displace the blade spring downwardly, should the occasion arise for lock replacement or repair.

I claim:

1. In a luggage lock, the combination of an elongated attachment plate provided with a plurality of apertures to receive fasteners for securing said plate to a piece of luggage, an elongated locking lever connected to said attachment plate and pivotally swingable toward and away from the plate between an initial assembly position wherein the lever is substantially perpendicular to the plate, through an intermediate lock open position, and an ultimate lock closed position wherein the lever overlies the plate and conceals said fastener receiving apertures, a keeper link having one end thereof connected to said lever for pivotal movement and limited sliding movement longitudinally of the lever, the other end of said link being initially disconnected from said plate whereby the lever may assume its initial assembly position to facilitate installation of fasteners in the plate apertures and securing of the plate to a piece of luggage without obstruction by the lever, cooperating means provided at said other end of said link and on said plate for pivotally connecting the link to the plate after installation of fasteners in the plate apertures has been completed, and means for locking the link in its plate connected position whereby to prevent disengagement of said cooperating connecting means, the length of said link being such as to permit movement of said lever only between its lock open and lock closed positions when the link is connected to the plate, said cooperating connecting means comprising a pair of transversely spaced opposing channels provided on said plate, said channels being closed at one end and open at the other end thereof, and a laterally projecting cross member provided at said other end of said link, said cross member being slidably receivable in said channels with the link passing outwardly through the space between the channels whereby to pivotally connect the link to said plate, said means for locking the link in its plate connected position being provided on said plate and operative to close the open end of said channels to prevent disengagement of said cross member therefrom.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for locking the link in its plate connected position comprise a leaf spring having one end portion thereof secured to said plate and having its other end normally projecting into the space between said channels at the open end of the latter so as to close said open end, said projecting end of said spring being depressible by engagement of the link cross member therewith, whereby to facilitate insertion of the link cross member into the channels.

3. In a luggage lock, the combination of an elongated attachment plate provided with a plurality of apertures to receive fasteners for securing said plate to a piece of luggage, an elongated locking lever connected to said attachment plate and pivotally swingable toward and away from the plate between an initial assembly position wherein the lever is substantially perpendicular to the plate, through an intermediate lock open position, and an ultimate lock closed position wherein the lever overlies the plate and conceals said fastener receiving apertures, a keeper link having one end thereof connected to said lever for pivotal movement and limited sliding movement longitudinally of the lever, the other end of said link being initially disconnected from said plate when the lever is in its initial assembly position to facilitate installation of fasteners in the plate apertures and securing of the plate to a piece of luggage without obstruction by the lever, link connecting means extending longitudinally on said plate and having a link access at one end thereof, said other end of said link constituting a cooperating connecting element adapted to pass longitudinally through said access into a connecting engagement with said connecting means whereby to pivotally connect the link to the plate after installation of fasteners in the plate apertures has been completed and said lever has been moved to its intermediate lock open position, and means provided on said plate at said access of said connecting means for locking said connecting element of said link therein, the length of said link being such as to permit movement of said lever only between its lock open and lock closed position when the link is connected to the plate.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1962 Levine -170 2/1965 Slan 292-177 US. Cl. X.R. 292-247 

